Heretofore the prior art has suggested various hair curler devices. Generally, at least an overwhelming majority of such prior art devices are of a tubular cylindrical configuration defining a hair roller. A first type of such a prior art roller has in the most part a relatively thin solid tubular wall with a limited number of perforations or apertures formed therethrough apparently for accommodating a limited amount of air circulation therethrough. Such first type of hair roller also has a plurality of nub-like projections integrally formed on the radially outer surface of the overall roller.
A second type of prior art roller comprises a generally tubular cylindrical configuration with the overwhelming major portion of what could be generally considered the wall containing radially directed through apertures. Such apertures are defined and determined as by a plurality of radially angularly spaced longitudinally extending struts or ribs which intersect and connect with a plurality of annular or circumferential axially spaced rings. A plurality of axially spaced radially outwardly extending short teeth-like protuberances are integrally formed on and carried by each of such struts.
A third type of prior art hair curler is comprised of a helically coiled or wound main body within which is situated a cylindrical brush-like member having a helically wound center core wire which holds and directs bristles radially outwardly therefrom as to extend radially outwardly beyond the radial extremity of the wire main body. A tubular wide mesh stocking-like member is situated as an overlay enveloping the wire main body with such stocking member being of fine wire or plastic material and the loose mesh thereof permitting the extension therethrough of the brush bristles.
Usually, a person employing such prior art hair curlers employs the following steps. First, a comb is picked-up and a selected portion of hair is combed into a generally straight lock or tress with such being possibly in the order of two inches wide. Next, while one hand holds the combed tress of hair, the comb, previously used to define such tress, must be layed down after which with such free hand, a prior art roller is grasped and placed in contact with the said tress near or at the free ends of the hair strands comprising the tress. The prior art roller is then rollingly rotated against the tress of hair, while the tress is being wound thereupon, until the roller attains a desired position relative to the scalp. After that is achieved, the person must still secure the roller against undesirable disengagement with the rolled tress of hair thereon. In those prior art roller structures wherein the tubular body is mostly a solid tubular wall or one where very small or only a few apertures are formed therethrough, it has been necessary to employ generally U-shaped hair pins where the opposed legs thereof are normally resiliently closed in longitudinal abuting relationship with each other. This, in turn, requires the person to continue holding the wound roller with one hand while, with the other hand, attempting to spread open the opposed legs of the U-shaped hair pin and while continuing to hold open such legs, which are resiliently trying to return to the normal closed position, attempt to generally cooperatively engage such U-shaped hair pin with the wound roller by, generally, inserting such U-shaped hair pin into the roller from one open end thereof. More specifically, such U-shaped hair pin must be placed as to have one leg thereof engaging the radially inner surface of the tubular wall of the roller while the other leg must be placed as to be radially outwardly of and against the strands of hair defining the tress wound about such roller.
In situations where prior art rollers having many relatively large openings formed through the main body of the roller are employed, the steps in using such are the same as herein previously described. Except that the presence of many large openings enables the use of various forms of prior art straight pins (often made of plastic) which may be in the order of approximately 21/4 inches shank length. Such straight pins may be employed for securing the wound roller against unintentional release of and from the wound tress of hair. However, this still requires that the person first look for and pick-up such straight pin and then insert it, in a generally skewed or inclined relationship through the wound tress of hair and into the roller. Usually, in order to be relatively assured that such unintentional release will not occur, two or more of such straight pins are employed for each wound roller.
Still another type of prior art hair curler roller is employed. Such may be more accurately described as an assembly in that the main roller body, which may be of tubular cylindrical configuration with a great number of radially extending apertures formed through the tubular wall, coacts with a locking member which, axially, is generally coextensive with the main roller body and which, when viewed in an axially end view is of a C-shaped configuration. With such a prior art roller assembly, often the tress of hair is wound on and about the main roller body the C-shaped locking member must forcibly be placed onto and over the wound hair and roller body as to contain the wound hair on such roller body. One of the problems of this arrangement is that the C-shaped configuration must be forcibly spread open in order to get it to fit over the effective diameter of the roller body and the hair wound thereabout. Another problem of this arrangement is that, the main roller body is often provided with a plurality of relatively short radially outwardly extending spaced tooth-like projections carried on the radially outer surface of the tubular roller body. Such projections not only frictionally engage the tress but also result in an interfering abutment with the C-shaped lock member when such is attempted to be placed into cooperative locking engagement with the roller body.
In addition to the intrinsic problems generally associated with the above prior art structures and the method of employing such, other safety problems also exist.
For example, it is quite possible to injure ones scalp especially where the straight pin type of locking means is employed. Also, in situations where children are present, as often occurs when the mother of such children is curling her hair at home, the children can, and have been known to, take such straight pins and/or U-shaped hair pins, without the mother's knowledge, and accidentally inflict various injuries upon themselves.
Accordingly, the invention as herein disclosed and claimed is primarily directed to the solution of the preceding and related and attendant problems.